Leo Returns
by Chocolate369
Summary: This is a set of three one-shots I wrote because I was wondering what would happen if Leo returned before Karai's attack and met up with his brothers. I won't have Karai attack in any of these one-shots though, this is just Leo meeting up with his brothers. Please review.
1. Chapter 1

This is a set of three one-shots I thought of. What if Leo returned before Karai attacked the lair? This is just Leo meeting up with each of his brothers on the way back. There will not be a one-shot of Karai attacking the lair. These are just for fun.

* * *

What would have happened if Leo returned early and met up with Mikey first? I don't own tmnt

Leo Returns: Mikey

"Hey, guys," Mikey called as he headed out of the lair and into the sewer tunnels, "I'm going skateboarding for a while!" For the last few hours, the orange-clad turtle had been bored out of his mind. Donnie's focus was entirely on upgrading the Tunneler while Raph hogged the television. Master Splinter was currently either reading or meditating, and he'd made it clear to all his sons that he wasn't to be disturbed. And Leo was still all the way in Japan. Mikey'd already reread each of his comics so many times that even the Justice Force and Silver Sentry held no excitement for him.

"Have fun," Donnie absently replied as he shifted position to weld the new metal plates of the Tunneler together.

"See ya," Raph added. "Just don't get lost." He smirked.

"Ha, ha. Very funny." Mikey glared as he left. "One time. And you never live it down," he muttered. When he'd been about ten, he'd taken his skateboard out into the tunnels for a few hours. Unfortunately, he'd turned the wrong way heading back and became hopelessly lost. When Donnie and Leo found him later, Mikey'd clung to them the whole way home. Which, as it turned out, was in the next tunnel over. The whole time he'd been scared, all he needed to do was duck down a side tunnel and he would've arrived at the entrance. Master Splinter actually had to step in stop the worst of the teasing, but Mikey was still occasionally ridiculed for it. Even Master Splinter himself found it amusing at the time.

After several blocks, Mikey finally found his favorite spot. "Waaaa-hooooo!" he yelled as all speed broke loose. He flew past tunnels, completed a circle around the pipe, and thought he saw the remnants of the old lair as he flew by a tunnel that he knew led there. He smiled at all the fun memories.

As he remembered those times, his mind wandered to eldest brother, Leo, and of the times he and all his brothers would ride the tunnels: him on his skateboard, Raph favoring roller blades, Don pedaling his bike, and Leo coasting on his scooter. They had pulled some pretty insane stunts in their time. Once, Raph had jumped subway tracks as a train was coming, nearly becoming turtle paste. Both Leo and Splinter had given him a pretty thorough lecture after that.

Another time, Mikey had let himself get distracted by the fact that he was the only one who could circle the pipe and nearly fallen of the edge into one of those caverns with a whirlpool at the bottom. Luckily, Leo had managed to catch up to him and pull him back. All three of his brothers had lectured him thoroughly after that, though he hadn't needed it. That experience was more than sufficient to make him watch his surroundings while skateboarding in the sewers.

Man, he missed those times. He could hardly remember the last time the four of them brought out their sports gear and let loose. He sighed.

They'd taken out their gear plenty of times. Except there had only been three of them recently, since Leo refused to take time off from training to have fun those last few months. And when he left, none of the turtles had really taken their gear out. This was the first time he'd done it himself since Leo left.

He hoped Leo would return soon, and that he'd come back normal. Angry, Raph-like Leo scared him. Especially when Leo took on that bandaged rat guy by himself and how he yelled at them after that incident with the purple dragons. There was even the fact that he'd gone looking for Casey to whap some Purple Dragons. Mikey, Don, Raph, and Splinter weren't even actually supposed to know about that. A few days after Leo left, Casey accidentally slipped up and Raph threatened to beat the rest of the story out of him. Casey wound up telling them the entire story, which stunned the brothers to no end. It was one thing for Leo to act like Raph at home. But to actually seek out Casey to bash some skulls? It was unbelievable.

What scared Mikey most was Leo hurting Splinter. That scared him worse than when Raph nearly bashed his head in. Raph was known to get violent occasionally. But Leo...Leo always kept himself under control, most of the time anyway. To see him lose control to the degree that he would even consider hurting Splinter, let alone actually doing it...it scared Mikey to no end.

It also made him feel guilty. He prided himself on knowing when something was hurting his brothers and being good at prying whatever the problem was out of them. But that time, he hadn't done anything. They'd all known something was wrong with Leo. They'd have been pretty stupid to not notice his changed behavior. But none of them ever bothered to confront him about it, to ask him why. Maybe they could've prevented this. But they didn't. And now Leo had been gone for about two months. _Come home soon, bro,_ he thought. _We miss you._

He sighed and glanced behind him.

As a result, when he neared a manhole cover, he didn't see the figure drop into the tunnels until it was too late.

Mikey returned his attention to his immediate path. "What the-"

_CRASH!_

He barreled straight into the stranger, sending them both tumbling and rolling down the tunnel before stopping, neither able to rise immediately.

"Aw, geez," Mikey groaned. "Turtle can't even skateboard in peace around here anymore," he complained.

The person seemed to freeze.

"Hey, wait a minute. Who the heck are you?" Mikey's eyes narrowed as he leapt up and twirled his nunchuks. When the stranger didn't respond, Mikey stepped forward and raised his weapons threateningly. "Hey, I'm talking to you here." Finally, the figure spoke.

"Mikey?"

The youngest turtle's nunchuks slowed and stopped. It _couldn't_ be.

"Leo?" he asked breathlessly. Was it really him, was he finally-

The figure rose and stepped into a lit part of the tunnel, revealing the big brother Mikey had missed so much.

"Hey," Leo greeted nervously. As Mikey gripped his brother's arm, making sure he was really there, his eyes fell on the trenchcoat and backpack Leo had discarded. Only then did Mikey accept his brother was truly there.

"Hey!" Mikey cried as pounced on his brother, nearly sending both of them crashing into the ground again as he gripped his brother in a bear hug. "Shell, I'm glad you're back."

Leo smiled. "It's good to see you again too, Mikey." He chuckled. "Nice welcome back present," he said as Mikey released him.

Mikey smiled sheepishly. "Sorry," he apologized as his smile returned. Leo was finally back! And right when Mikey was thinking about it too. This was just awesome. The others were going to love this. A celebration was definitely in order tonight. Maybe Sensei would call off evening practice. Mikey would bake some of his famous double chocolate chip cookies and make Leo eat at least seven! A late night of watching horror and sci-fi flicks, absolute necessity. Maybe Don would invent something cool that could make the TV work better, get better picture and sound. And Raph could maybe not be a complete grouch and annoyance all the time. His evening looked a whole lot brighter.

Wait a minute! Why was he standing there thinking about these things? The others didn't even know Leo was back yet. He could plan the party later; right now, his job was to drag Leo back to the lair on the double. Raph, Don, and Splinter were going to love this!

As soon as Leo picked his stuff up, Mikey grabbed him by the arm and started tugging. "Come on, come on, come on, Leo, lets go! The others don't even know you're back yet. Hurry up!"

Leo smiled and laughed a bit as he allowed Mikey to drag him down the tunnels.

As they raced back, Mikey bombarded Leo with questions. Leo described Japan, the sights, the mountains, but refused to talk about the Ancient One or about what happened to him there, saying he wanted to tell the whole family at once. Though, he did tell Mikey that he wasn't angry anymore, that he was himself again.

"So, you're not Raph's evil twin anymore?" asked Mikey.

Leo stared, then laughed. "No, I'm not 'Raph's evil twin,' anymore."

0o0o0o0o0o

"Hey, guys!" Mikey called as he and Leo reached the lair's entrance. Unfortunately, Raph and Donnie decided to interrupt before he could give them the news.

"Mikey, I thought you were going to be gone another hour," said Donnie.

"I was enjoying the peace and quiet," Raph muttered.

Mikey grinned with mock offense and spoke in a long-suffering voice. "Oh, sorry, my bros. I just figured you'd like to see our dear brother Leo again early." The two turtles eyes widened. Mikey continued. "And as I wasn't about to let walk him home by himself, I thought you wouldn't want to wait an hour-"

"Wait, what?" interrupted Donnie. "Are you serious?" His voice conveyed nervousness and longing before he trailed off as Leo stepped up beside Mikey. Raph also froze, his expression disbelieving.

"Hey everyone," Leo greeted nervously. The tension in the air was so thick Mikey thought Leo could have swiped his swords through it.

"So," Mikey began. He never finished his sentence.

Raph and Donnie raced up to Leo, greeting him with a loud enthusiasm that Mikey knew had been sorely lacking in the lair recently. Leo was bombarded with questions. What was the Ancient One like? When had he gotten back? How was he? Mikey grinned. It wouldn't be long now.

"My sons! I specifically ordered you to be quiet this evening. What is the meaning of all this noise?"

"It's nothing Sensei. Just someone we've missed popping up today." Mikey's grin stretched to the corners of his face as he anticipated Splinter's reaction.

"Master Splinter." Leo stepped forward and knelt in front of his Sensei. _Hasn't changed much,_ Mikey reflected.

Splinter's disapproval vanished as he beheld his eldest son once again. "My son!" His quiet voice echoed as he bowed to Leo, only to grip him in a hug a few seconds later. "Welcome home."

Mikey didn't think he'd stop smiling today. His big brother was home. And himself again! Everything would be okay again, Mikey knew it.

The End


	2. Chapter 2

Now it's time for Leo to meet up with Donnie. I don't own tmnt. I hope I wrote the Professor accurately.

Leo Returns: Donnie

Donnie scoured the junkyard, searching for a salvageable transmitter. The old one had been acting up recently, often enough that the genius turtle wanted a backup just in case it quit permanently. He also wanted to get out of the lair. Lately, the atmosphere had been rather depressing. Leo had been gone over two months.

Thinking back on it, Don had felt like a complete idiot. Some genius he was. He couldn't even help his own brother when he needed it the most. He realized something was wrong, that Leo wasn't himself, but he'd never stepped up to try to fix the problem. None of them had. Then it had been to late.

"I hope you were able to find something useful Donatello." Don started; he hadn't heard the Professor step up behind him. Berating himself for not being aware of his surroundings, he turned and saw the older man holding up the transmitter he'd been searching for.

"Oh, thanks Professor," he said, absently.

"Is something troubling you, my green friend?"

Don sighed. "Yeah. It's my brother Leo. He had to leave a few months ago because of…well, something." He didn't want to talk about Leo slicing Splinter's forehead. "He was having anger issues and he lost his temper one day. I don't want to go into details, but Splinter sent him on quest to parts unknown afterward."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and I'm worried about him. I also feel like it's my fault."

"Why is that?"

"Because I didn't try to help him myself. None of us did. And now he's gone and we don't know when he'll be back."

The Professor smiled sympathetically. "I have no doubt he is safe. It would take quite the monster to destroy any of you. I have watched you battle before, and have listened to many of your stories about your adventures."

"Yeah, I know Professor But he's my brother. I can't help it."

The Professor nodded. "That is perfectly reasonable. Now, about this guilt you feel. Did you ever ask Leonardo what troubled him?"

"No, not really. Not until it was too late. None of us did, except for April, once. She said Leo felt like a failure because of what happened in our last fight with the Shredder." Don slapped his forehead. "Looking back on it, I should've known something was seriously wrong and done something about it. But I didn't. And now it's too late."

The Professor placed his fingers on his chin, pondering Don's dilemma. "I doubt it is too late. Your brother will return someday, we both agree on that. I also do not think it is your fault."

Don wore his skeptical face at that remark.

"Did any of your brothers talk to Leonardo?"

"No, none of us did. I told you that."

"Then it is not completely your fault. Perhaps you are partly to blame. But do not forget, your brothers also did not speak to Leonardo about his problems." He paused. "In any event, dwelling on these events will not help anyone. Next time your brother is troubled, will you speak to him about it."

"Definitely," Don replied.

"Then that is the most you can do." The Professor smiled. "Now, I also found several computer chips you might find useful."

Don grinned as he examined the chips. Yes, he could use them, but overall he felt much better than he had when he arrived. With a last farewell, having exchanged clothes and junk items, Don packed up the Battle Shell and headed out.

On the way back, Don's thoughts drifted back to Leo, all the way in Japan. Was Leo still angry, or had the Ancient One managed to help him work past that? When would he return?

_Hopefully soon_, Don thought. They all missed having Leo around. Every time his name was mentioned, sadness penetrated the lair until someone managed to change the subject. They weren't out on patrols as much either. It didn't feel right without Leo. Even Raph didn't hit the surface as much as he used to.

They'd all been affected when Leo left. Mikey was still his loudmouthed, goofball self, but his pranks weren't as frequent. He didn't babble on about comics as much and could be unusually quiet when watching the television.

Raph beat on his punching bag even more often than usual in the first few days before finally settling down. He hardly spoke to anyone for a week after Leo left, just brooded wherever he could find quiet in the lair. More than once the last two months, Don caught him leaving Leo's room late at night, but the purple-banded turtle still valued his life enough to not call Raph out on it. He didn't want to anyway. It was clear how much Raph missed Leo.

When Leo first left, Donnie had trouble focusing on anything. Few of his projects were researched, fixed, or otherwise worked on. Partly because he was unable to focus, but also because a few tempers ran high and he ended up having to fix a few of their household appliances more than once. It had gotten better, but Don still occasionally lost his focus and was unable to regain it until a few hours later.

Splinter tried not to show it, but it was clear Leo's absence affected him greatly as well. He spent much more time in his room and moved slower than before. Don would even venture to think he hunched over more. Of all of them, Splinter had to feel Leo's absence the strongest, except for maybe Raph. He missed training and having tea with his eldest.

Don could only pray Leo would return soon.

As Donnie turned the corner, the Battle Shell's headlights fell upon a figure in a trenchcoat. "Whoa!" he cried, slamming on the brakes. Just when it seemed the truck would hit, the figure darted into the shadows. Just before he disappeared, Don caught sight of something _very_ familiar. He'd recognize the handles of those swords anywhere.

"Leo!" he called out as he rolled down the window, desperately hoping he hadn't simply imagined it, that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

For several agonizing seconds, nothing happened. Then the same figure reemerged in a lit area. His head lifted and Donnie saw the face clearly under the wide brimmed hat.

"Donnie, is that you?" asked Leo.

"You're back!" Donnie exclaimed. "Hang on, let me park this." He backed quickly into an alleyway and leapt out of the truck.

The two brothers met halfway and grasped hands. Donnie still couldn't believe Leo was actually here.

"When did you get back?"

"The ship docked at port just a little while ago. I gotta admit, I never expected to run into you in the Battle Shell. What've you been up to?"

"I was searching the junkyard for some parts I needed. I can't believe you're really here!" He froze. "I also can't believe I nearly crashed into you! Some way to welcome you back."

Leo laughed. "Don't worry about it Donnie. I should've stuck to the rooftops anyway. How have you guys been?"

"Okay, but it hasn't been the same without you around," Don explained. "It's been weird, not hearing you in the dojo or arguing with Raph. In fact, for a few days I wondered why it was so quiet."

Both turtles broke out in laughter. "I find that hard to believe. I thought it was Mikey who made all the noise."

"You might be surprised how much of it was you and Raph." Don smiled. "Let's park the Battle Shell in the warehouse. The others'll kill me if they find out I kept you up here to myself when you just got back." As they headed towards the truck, Donnie held out the keys. "You want to drive? It's been a while."

"Sure." Leo smiled as both slipped inside. Sitting in the passenger seat, Don dialed Raph, Mikey, and Splinter's numbers and turned on the four way calling.

"Don/Donnie/Donatello," three voices chorused. "Hey, what the/what is-"

"I installed four way calling, everyone. I need to talk to all of you and I didn't want to make one call after another."

"What's going on braniac? You almost back from the junkyard?" asked Raph

"Yeah, we're just a block from the warehouse. And you'll never guess who I ran into on the way back." Don's voice quivered with anticipation.

"Let me guess. A famous rocket scientist. No, wait! Bigfoot! No, no, a superhero! Ow! Raph!" Mikey's voice groaned at the end as Don heard the familiar _SMACK!_

"Who did you meet, Donatello?" Splinter asked.

"No one much. Just our favorite blue-masked turtle Leo." Don smiled at the dead silence on the other end.

"No way!" Mikey exclaimed.

"Seriously?" asked Raph.

Don turned on the speaker and held the phone closer to Leo. "Hey guys," Leo greeted.

"Leo, you're really back!" Mikey voice echoed through the whole Battle Shell. "Awesome! How was Japan? Did you get to see Godzilla? Were they any cool action figures? Were there any-Ow!"

"Michelangelo! You will never receive any answers if you do not allow your brother to speak!" Master Splinter's voice softened. "How are you, my son?"

Leo smiled. "I'm okay, Master Splinter."

"You normal now, Leo? I was getting kinda sick of you acting like me."

Leo laughed. "Yes, Raph, I think I'm normal again."

"You better be."

"Where are you guys, anyway?" asked Mikey.

"Leo's just pulling into the warehouse. We'll be down in a few seconds," answered Don.

"We shall be waiting," said Splinter.

Don hung up as Leo parked the Battle Shell and the two headed for the elevator. "How long do you think Mikey will keep me up tonight with questions about Japan?"_  
_

"Definitely this entire night if Splinter doesn't make him go to bed. And not just from him. It'll probably be at least a couple weeks to a month before we stop coming up with questions about Japan. And expect to explain some incidents from before you left."

"Great," Leo groaned as the elevator descended, but Donnie could tell Leo was looking forward to describing some of his experiences. He also seemed to be concealing laughter and a little embarrassment. "What incidents?"

"Can you really expect Casey to keep a secret. He mentioned after you left that sometimes he wished he had a shell after seeing how it protected you."

Leo grimaced. "Oh, right. That."

Don smiled. "Don't worry, that question probably won't come up till later. We're just glad you're home. And that you're you again."

"So am I Donnie." Leo smiled back.

The elevator door opened.

Raph and Mikey were right up against the door with Splinter only a few steps behind them. Mikey leaped on top of Leo, sending him to the ground with his hug while laughing and saying how good it was to have him back and now someone could keep Raph off him, much to the latter's annoyance.

Once Mikey let go, Raph gripped Leo in a headlock and noogied him while welcoming him back.

Donnie grinned as he watched Leo greet Splinter. He couldn't wait to tell Casey and April Leo was back.


	3. Chapter 3

Finally, it's time for Raph to meet Leo. I don't own tmnt.

Leo Returns: Raph

Raph pushed his motorcycle speed to the limit, narrowly avoiding several cars along with a few trees and trashcans. He could hardly stand it in the lair tonight. It had been two months since Leo had left, and they'd heard nothing as far as when he'd come back. For some reason, Raph just couldn't stay in the lair. Mikey was planning on making spaghetti while Don fixed the microwave. Splinter was meditating in his room.

Raph had nothing to do. He'd wrecked his punching bag this afternoon, there was nothing good on the TV, and at the moment he didn't have a spotter for lifting weights. Casey was spending the evening with April. The only thing to do was head out on the Shell Cycle and hope for some action.

As Raph raced down the streets, his thoughts drifted to Leo. He couldn't help but feel both angry and ashamed when his brother entered his mind. The oldest turtle was always in the others' business, the first one to help and encourage communication if any of them were troubled. Yet Leo was a closed book when it came to his own feelings. If Leo had just talked to them, let them know he was hurting, then maybe matters wouldn't have come to this. He might not have injured Splinter and have to be sent away to find someone to help him. He might still be with them.

On the flip side, Raph knew it was partly their fault too. None of them bothered to confront Leo about his behavior. Sure, they knew something was wrong, but they always believed Leo would handle it himself, even when for months the issues only got worse, including the way Leo acted towards them and Master Splinter. Especially Master Splinter. That alone should have set off warning bells in their minds. But it didn't. All they did was gape and wonder about it, they never confronted him.

They could have though. Raph was sure that if all three of them teamed up, they could have found some way to convince Leo to open up. Heck, they probably could have siced Mikey on Leo to annoy him until he agreed to talk.

Raph slowed down as he neared the docks. He'd never admit this to his family, but for the first two weeks after Leo left, Raph would frequently drive to the docks. He didn't know why. He just always felt closer to his brother here. That, and it was a place he could really be alone to think his thoughts.

Looking out to sea, his thoughts drifted to the time he and the others set out to blow up Shredder's boat. Leo had somehow convinced Karai to listen to her sense of honor or whatever, and she hadn't been able to kill him. Raph would never have been able to do that. He would've just attempted to hurt her for breaking her promise. But Leo…

That was one of the things Raph couldn't always understand about him. Leo, for some reason, saw friends where he and the others saw enemies, including Quarry (or Sydney) and Traximus. It was probably the same principle that led him to see Karai as a possible friend, or at least an ally. He cringed. Karai stabbing Leo probably hurt the leader more than his brothers could imagine. That comment he made back at the farm probably hadn't helped. He'd been regretting that for a long time and wished he could tell Leo that.

His eyes widened. Something was moving through the docks. Quiet. Stealthy. He glared. Only a ninja could move like that. And ninjas skulking around the docks at night usually meant trouble somewhere.

He drew his sais, tackling the ninja as it passed him, pinning him to the ground, and threatened grievous harm if Raph didn't get answers. At least, that was what Raph intended to do.

Unfortunately, he only succeeded in tackling the unknown ninja before he was thrown off and into a crate. Raph heard swords drawn. He leaped to his feet and yelled as he launched himself toward the ninja again. The ninja froze, then leapt aside at the last minute.

"Raph?" Raph froze. No way! Was it really-

The ninja stepped into the streetlight, revealing Leo, who also stared at Raph as if unsure it was really him.

Raph jammed his sais back into his belt and joined his brother under the street light.

Leo's face betrayed unease, unsure how Raph would react to seeing him again.

"When did you get back?"

"I just left the ship," answered Leo, gesturing to a boat about fifty feet away as he continued to search Raph's face.

Raph couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face anymore. "I'm glad you're back bro." He placed his hand Leo's shoulder.

"Me too," Leo replied, the tension draining from his face. "What are you doing here?"

"I got bored in the lair, so I came up here. It's just, kind of peaceful, you know." Raph didn't want to admit the real reason he sometimes drove up here, but Leo could read between the lines. Thankfully, he left it at that. "Sorry about attacking you," he said, changing the subject.

"It's cool. You probably thought I was up to something."

"Yeah," he trailed off. _Do it now!_ he ordered himself, and continued before he lost his nerve. "Hey Leo. I'm sorry about these last few months."

"What are you sorry about?" asked Leo, completely flummoxed.

"I should've confronted you about your problems earlier, but I didn't. And I'm sorry about what I said on the farm about Karai stabbing you."

"Don't worry about it Raph. Yeah, you guys never talked to me, but it's not like I came to you asking for help."

"The way you were acting should have told us you needed help."

"It's okay, Raph, you-"

"Just accept my apology, okay Leo. It ain't exactly easy for me to say." His eyes bore holes into Leo.

Leo sighed. "Okay, I accept your apology."

"Thanks,"

The atmosphere became strained, each brother wanting to return to a better footing, yet neither knowing how.

An idea sparked in Raph's head. "I rode my bike up here. Want a lift?" he asked as he rolled the bike out and got on. He laughed to himself at Leo's face. He didn't usually let people ride his bike.

Leo stunned expression melted into a grin. "Sure," he replied as he joined his brother.

"Don't think I'm gonna take it nice and easy just because you're back. This ride's gonna be wild," Raph warned as he tossed Leo the spare helmet.

"That's what I'm counting on!" Leo retorted as he wrapped his arms around Raph's shell.

Raph grinned.

The city of New York rang with the sound of the two brothers' laughter. With Leo back, enthusiasm and adrenaline penetrated Raph's body, and it showed in his stunts and tricks with his bike. He accelerated and braked at completely random intervals, and turned corners with such speed that their knees came within a foot of the road.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

By the time they arrived at the warehouse with the elevator, both turtles were breathing hard from laughing. Raph couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much fun with Leo. The best part; they hadn't fought the entire way home. Not once. It had been a nice change.

"I can't wait to see the others faces when you show up," Raph said as the two headed for the elevator.

"How has everyone been?"

"Okay. We definitely missed ya though."

The elevator door opened. As Raph started to step in, Leo hesitated.

"You okay?" Raph asked.

"Well-"

"Look, Leo," said Raph, laying a hand on his brother's shoulder, "none of us are mad at ya. Not even Splinter. He's forgiven ya, bro. Trust me on that. And everyone's gonna be happy to see ya."

Leo smiled slightly. "Thanks Raph," he said as he joined his brother in the elevator.

When the door opened to the lair, a strong smell of spaghetti and meat sauce assaulted their nostrils. Leo's face grew hungry and his stomach growled. Raph smirked. "Hungry?"

Leo blushed. "I couldn't exactly steal a lot of the food on the ship without raising suspicions, okay."

Raph chuckled.

"About time you got back Raphie-boy! The spaghetti's been done for a whole five minutes already." Mikey's voice called from the kitchen.

"Mikey also goofed up the recipe and made a double batch instead, so we're going to have a lot of leftovers." Donnie's voice piped up with a groan. There were already too many leftovers in the fridge.

"Well, _excuuuuse_ me! You opened the cook book to the wrong page, braniac."

"That was _you_, chucklehead! I've been in the lab all day. Raph only went into the kitchen to hit the fridge and Sensei only searched for tea bags."

Silence followed Donnie's comeback, broken only when Mikey started muttering to himself.

Raph laughed. "Relax guys, we've got an extra for dinner tonight."

"And who is this extra, Raphael?" asked Splinter.

"Someone," Raph replied as he turned the corner with Leo following behind. Splinter was the first to glance up. He froze.

"Leonardo?"

Don and Mikey's faces shot toward Raph and Leo and stared. Raph turned and grinned at Leo.

"Uh, hey everyone," Leo greeted them nervously.

Mikey jumped onto Leo, nearly smothering him in a hug while Donnie approached.

"Come on Mikey, let Donnie see him," Raph ordered as he and Don gently pried Mikey off of Leo.

The two calmer turtles gripped each others arms and grinned. "It's great to see you, Leo." Don voice was soft, but no one could mistake the sincerity behind his words.

Leo smile widened. "It's great to see you too, Donnie."

"My son." Master Splinter approached, smiling while at the same time studying his eldest son.

Leo returned the smile; despite his nervousness, he really was glad to see his Sensei again. Splinter's smile grew wider as he realized that indeed that Leo had returned to them. The real Leo, his son.

"Welcome home." The happiness behind those words drove away all of Leo's fears as he knelt in front of his father.

"I'm glad to be home Sensei." Silence stretched, a happy silence where everyone simply enjoyed basking in the fact that Leo was home and himself again, only to be broken when Leo's stomach growled again.

If Leo were human, his face would've turned beet red. His brothers howled with laughter and even Splinter chuckled.

"Well, looks like someone's hungry," Mikey commented while Don quickly set a place for Leo. "So, Leo, does Japanese spaghetti taste any different?"

"I wouldn't know. I didn't have any."

"What? You mean to tell me you haven't had spaghetti for two months! No pizza! Cake! Cookies!" Mikey exclaimed, growing desperate and horrified as Leo continued to shake his head.

Raph grinned. _Classic Mikey_, he thought as the youngest turtle's eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets.

"Dude, you are _so_ eating a double serving tonight. And at least half of the leftover pizza and the cookies and cake I'm baking tomorrow. Two months with nothing good. How are you still alive?" Mikey asked dramatically as he piled Leo's plate high with what resembled more a triple serving than a double and covering the whole thing in sauce that nearly ran off the plate onto the table.

_Oh, yeah,_ Raph thought. _Things are definitely getting better_. He couldn't wait to hear about the new ways Leo learned to kick butt.

The End


End file.
